Author's note: here's another chapter of this thing.lol Thanks to those who reviewed and keep reading. This chapter doesn't have the usual nicknames and sawyerisms, but I'm thinking I should explain the use of the nicknames I put in the fic or where they come from. Would you like that? If you want it, I'll start explaining them in further author's notes. :) Enough with crappy me!xD Read and enjoy!

Chapter 3

"Dude, tell them we need more boats if we are to get outta here soon!" Hurley yelled at Jin.

The korean looked at him with a weird face.

"Boat."

"Yeah, man, boat! We need more boats!" the fat man repeated. Understanding Jin wasn't following him, he started gesturing. He made a plus signal with his fingers and lifted it to Jin's face. "Boat. More boat. More."

"Boat." Jin nodded and then turned to Sun, speaking in his native language. "I think Hurley is saying we need more boats, but I don't know why."

Sun smiled at her husband.

"He wants to go to the ship in only one journey and there aren't enough safeboats for that." The korean woman kissed her husband's cheek lightly and approached the japanese again, discussing how to take all the thirty-something people and their luggage to the ship and how to settle everybody in there.

"No boat." Jin told Hurley, praying he'd understand. He thought the large man was very odd since the episode he had almost drowned trying to take Hurley off the water while he shouted something that sounded like 'pi'.

"No boat?!"

"No boat." Jin repeated, patiently.

"Dude, that can't be! What if they don't bother to return?"

The korean man shrugged and said nothing. That had been too much english for his knowledge.

"Don't be so paranoid, Hurley" Libby said, grinning. "If they didn't want to rescue all of us, they wouldn't even have come to the beach the first place."

"Hope you're right" he mumbled, not very sure of her words. "I'll go next just in case."

Libby laughed and then leaned in closer and put her head on his shoulder, observing the wonderful and happy agitation that surrounded them. Charlie and Bernard were helping the japanese packing their luggage on the safeboats, while Claire was already seated on one of them holding a very quiet Aaron. Libby was happy for her. Raising a baby was hard work in a developed world, doing it in an island where nothing existed, no diapers, no medicine, no baby food, had to be admirable.

"What are we going to do about Michael?" Sayid asked.

Jack finally stopped what he was doing. The iraqi had spent the last half hour talking about the people who were staying behind and how wrong it was to leave them. It had gone on and on about Locke and Eko and then about Rose's case and then because of the sudden decision Scott (or was it Steve?) had made about staying there with his new found girlfriend because they had a crappy life in the real world. Jack had listened and sometimes replied but he had nothing to do with what people decided to do with their lives. Even if it meant refusing rescue to stay in the island.

"And what about Danielle?" Sayid insisted.

The doctor stared at Sayid with a sad expression. He appreciated the effort Sayid was putting in that subject when no one else seemed to mind about anyone but themselves.

"She's been here for 16 years, I don't think she'll mind staying a bit longer" he answered, awkwardly. He was being cold and he knew it, but it had to be this way.

"Now you are starting to look like Sawyer!" the iraqi complained.

"I know. I'm sorry." Jack held his head with both his hands, trying to figure one way out. "I don't know where they are. Danielle would be easy to find, we know where she hides. Michael, on the other hand..." He sighed and re-started his work. He was trying to leave an organized stash of medicine for the people staying behind, with lists of the medication and what they were used for. "Even if we found them, they wouldn't come. The Others have their kids."

"Maybe the japanese could help us defeating the Others..." Sayid suggested.

"Didn't take you for a dreamer, Sayid." Jack smirked. "They're doing much as it is. It's not easy to have almost 40 people for guests in a ship that's probably made to only host the crew."

"You are right. But I do not feel right about this."

"Neither do I, Sayid. Neither do I..." He sighed again and kneeled on the sand.

"I think I will go talk to Sun. If the japanese can return here in a few weeks, maybe Michael will be at the beach by then."

"You do that" Jack agreed. "It's a very good idea." He wasn't sure if it was. Too many flaws.

"And it will give the rest of the people time to decide if they really want to stay."

"I don't think the japanese will want to return, Sayid" Jack decided to share his thoughts. "But ask them for the coordinates of this place. We'll get back here ourselves."

Sawyer looked at one suitcase then at the other. He looked around at his other stuff, making sure he hadn't forgotten anything.

"Clothes, books, blanket, booze..."

After Ana Lucia had left him, he had run off to the hatch to leave the guns he had conned everybody to have. In that hell-alike island, Locke and Eko would need them a lot more than he did.

When he decided he had everything he closed the suitcases and put the backpack over his back. He grabbed the suitcases and walked along the beach, soon joining the rest of the gang, all happy packing and waving at their fellow mates who were already on their way to the japanese ship. He let go of his suitcases and put down his heavy backpack, crossing his arms and enjoying the view.

"Hey."

Sawyer turned his head to see Kate standing next to him.

"Howdy, Freckles. Long time no see!"

She smiled and looked down, examining his luggage. Sawyer grinned too, reading her.

"Now ask me about the guns, Freckles."

"Got any guns in there?" she questioned, pointing his bags with ther chin.

"Why, I was startin' to think ya'd never ask!" He displayed her his most adorable dimpled smile.

She looked embarassed and kept her eyes down.

"Can you give me one?"

"I don't think I can."

"What?"

It was fun to watch how easily she would face him when she was angry.

"I won't give you one. Our dear Joanna wouldn't need one, would she? You gotta play the part."

"Sawyer..."

"Nuh-uh!" he teased.

"What about carte blanche?"

"Carte blanche was for island business, sweetheart. We're about to leave."

"We're still here..."

"Not for long."

"I'll feel safer with a gun."

"Why is that?"

"I'm going back... there" she whispered. "It's dangerous."

"Dangerous was this island and you didn't seem to mind going around unarmed."

"It's different, Sawyer" Kate stated, matter-of-factly. "When the marshall died, I had nothing here to run away from but myself. Back in the States, in Australia... I was always afraid, looking over the shoulder, fearing someone would recognise me. In some strange way, I was better off on the island."

He smiled and opened his backpack.

"Here's your gun. But I don't think you'll have to use it." He closed the pack and stood up, waving at Hurley who was making a mess of his safeboat. "No need to thank me."

She held the gun and then guarded it in her pants.

"Thanks." Kate said, with a defiant mocking look.

She then left him alone with his luggage and went to join Sayid and Sun with the japanese. Half of the people were already on the ship or on its way.

Sawyer observed Kate with a resolute expression.

"You'll never have to use it once I'm finished with you."